How Much Overhang Can My Granite Countertop Have Without Additional Support?

How much overhang can I have without additional support? The short answer everyone is looking for is 12 inches. The Marble institute of America recommends no more than 12 inches unsupported. This short answer is not enough as there are variables that must be understood to safely answer this question. The maximum overhang depends upon the hardness of the stone and just how much counter IS FULLY supported vs how much is not. Cantilevered weight offset, is what we are looking for.

Here is an extreme example. If you only have 6 inches of stone on top of a wall cap then the maximum safe overhang is 2 inches following the 2/3rds rule. The Marble institutes 12 inch guide line may lead someone to believe that it is ok to have 12 inches of overhang when in this situation it would immediately fall off the wall and potentially injure anyone with feet in the path of the falling granite.

So to clarify the maximum overhang is the lesser of 2/3rd or 12 inches. Even that depends upon the fragility of the material. I would not recommend a 12 inch unsupported overhang with Onyx due to how soft and fragile the material is and you can get away with 16 inches if the material was Absolute Black as the material is fissure free and extremely hard.

How much overhang can you have without additional support? This question comes up daily and affects layout and overall design of many kitchens.

The straight answer is up to 12 inches for granite, providing 2/3 or more is cantilevered to offset the unsupported weight.

Peninsula overhangs can make or break the overall functionality of a kitchen. The use of Corbels or legs to support additional overhangs can affect chairs and leg areas so finding solutions can affect the functionality of a kitchen design.

You can have more and sometimes less is recommended depending upon the actual stone. Very hard stones can safely support more overhang, providing the 2/3 cantilevered criteria is met. Softer or more fragile stones may dictate less overhang.

What options do you have if you just have to have more overhang. well there are couple different ones to consider.

Below are some of the popular solutions and options as well some pros and cons to each solution.

-Corbels- Visible but decorative

-Brackets- Inexpensive and effective, installed properly works better on wall tops than upon cabinets
themselves.

-Legs -Visible, decorative but in the way of chairs and peoples legs.

-Granite Countertop support brackets- Hidden and concealed but offers great support. They must be installed before the granite and cut into the cabinet itself. They are specifically designed for this challenge.

-Rods- Can be installed inside of the stone to strengthen and potentially extend the limit as this technique does reinforces fragile stones, but does nothing to extend the cantilever rule of 2/3rds.

Think a worst case scenario such as someone deciding to jump up on top of a countertop and ask yourself, “would that be safe” Consider the application as well. what is safe in a frat house is not the same for what is safe in a retirement community. Consider the application, material, cantilever support and err to the safe side when designing and planning the amount of overhang you might engineer into your granite countertops.

Dan DiTomaso Stone Masters Inc. http://www.stonemastersinc.net

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Kitchen Cabinet – Choosing the Right Type of Wood and Style

If you are thinking of a home improvement plan, then adding a new kitchen cabinet set will add a lot of value to your home and can, in fact, change the overall look and value of your home. Whether you are looking to give your kitchen a new and modern look, update it according to the latest market trends, or restore the traditional look, it is your kitchen that is going to give you the greatest value for your money. In fact, there are many home owners who prefer to go for RTA kitchen cabinets to not only add value but give the illusion of expensive custom made cabinets. Irrespective of the kind of kitchen you may be looking for, it is important for you to understand the different kinds of materials used for making kitchen cabinets.

Wood cabinets are very popular with many home owners. Though there are different kinds of wood used, maple has been one of the most popular materials used for creating cabinetry. Maple is a highly versatile and durable wood that can be used with a variety of finishes due to its very fine and uniform grain. Another aspect to maple is that it can be painted or stained with ease and can match any kind of kitchen designs.

Another option you have is to go for Melamine kitchen cabinet sets. In fact, melamine is a coating that is put over a base material and it offers protection against flames, stains and scratches. These kinds of kitchen cabinets are available in a wide range of styles. Namely: plain white, retro and faux wood grain. How well the melamine coating will hold up differs from manufacturer to manufacturer and also depends upon the kind of material used beneath the coating. Melamine cabinets are very pleasing to the eye and also highly durable.

Another material that has remained very popular is metal. Though metal kitchen cabinets are old style, they are back in demand nowadays with more home owners preferring an industrial look over other kinds. There are a variety of metals used for cabinets. Stainless steel, when used with the right kind of accessories, can actually make your kitchen look warm and inviting. Brushed nickel and burnished copper are a very popular choice of finishes when it comes to metal kitchen cabinetry.

There are many homes which prefer using oak as a material for creating kitchen cabinet sets. Oak is a highly durable wood and has a very distinctive grain pattern. Hence, it is mostly preferred by people who want a traditional and old styled look.

Another option available to home owners is using bamboo. Bamboo is a very eco friendly and highly sustainable product which grows very quickly and is also quite versatile. Since bamboo does not grow quite thick enough, you cannot create planks with it and hence bamboo kitchen cabinets need to be veneered.

Finally, irrespective of the kind of material you want to use for your kitchen cabinet sets, it is important that you select a material that will go well with the overall dcor of your home and enhances its overall value.

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Remodeling your kitchen affordably by LKN Cabinets

Updating & Remodeling your kitchen – Kitchen Remodeling

Your primary kitchen remodeling idea is probably staring you in the face. Most people have at least one area of the kitchen that gets on their nerves and would like to see changed. Simple kitchen chores can be a great place to start. If you hate doing the dishes, a new custom kitchen sink and deluxe dishwasher, should make your list. If food prep is your least favorite part of cooking, a new countertop with a built-in board would be nice. If you simply hate your kitchen’s look, kitchen decorating and design should have top priority.

Replacing your kitchen cabinets is almost never a bad kitchen remodeling idea. They can increase kitchen storage and overall convenience, they enhance your kitchen decoration and feel, and cabinet resurfacing is a cheap expenditure next to many other kitchen remodeling ideas.

It could be that your kitchen does need major updating. Maybe your stove and refrigerator are right next to each other. Any remodel worth the name has to change that. Maybe there’s just not enough room for the four or five people that normally prepare meals in your house – so you really do need to expand outside the current kitchen walls. 

These tend to be the big ticket items, but often there’s no getting around them. There’s no decorating substitute for the effect of replacing linoleum or vinyl flooring with stone tile, hardwood, or laminate flooring. Countertops, too, are nearly impossible to ignore when assessing the beauty of a kitchen. If you can do so without breaking the bank, at least one of these items may be the center for the rest of your kitchen remodeling ideas to work around.

One popular change that you might want to keep under consideration is the removal of a wall. If done right, this can work wonders for making a small kitchen feel spacious and open. Of course, you must make certain that any wall you remove is not structural. If removal of the full wall is not feasible, consider removing part of it and making it into a ‘half wall’ where only the top half or so is taken out, or creating a ‘pass-thru’ – more or less a square or rectangular hole in the wall. These can also make a world of difference in the feel of the finished room.

SOURCE:  http://8rd.org/decoration/

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